


Beneath the Stars

by FrootTheBat



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Cielinny, Cute, Fluff, Kuroshitsuji Spoilers, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, No Sex, No Smut, One Shot, Out of Character, Puppy Love, Romantic Fluff, Short Chapters, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-20 07:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrootTheBat/pseuds/FrootTheBat
Summary: A collection of connected short stories revolving around a growing relationship of O!Ciel and Finnian.
Relationships: Finnian/Ciel Phantomhive
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think this is really a ship within the fandom, but my brain decided that I want CielXFinnian to be a thing, now I'm a fan.
> 
> Edited AN; I originally planned for these fics to be some platonic, slow burn, realizing feelings fics but. Apparently when I started writing, all of that got thrown out the window. Now it's kinda just a loose fic about Finnian and Ciel's adventures as a couple. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I think that I love you… But I’ve never been in love before. I don’t know what it feels like."

"Finnian. May I speak with you?" 

Finnian tensed at the Young Master's words, and his brain immediately feared for the worst. The young earl didn't often want to talk with the servants- especially not individually. Worries of being dismissed plagued his mind, despite reassuring looks from Bardroy and Mei Rin.

Their employer began to exit the room, and Finnian followed him to the drawing-room- nervously closing the door behind them. He watched with anxiety as the young earl sat down at his desk, shifting around some papers before looking up to Finnian. "Sebastian tells me that you've been distracted as of late." 

Freezing like a startled deer, Finnian tried to think of something to say, a response that would be enough to make the young earl forgive him. He knew that he couldn't admit the reason for his distractedness unless he wanted the conversation to end badly. But lying to the young master... He couldn't do it. 

"I... a bit, Young Master," he admitted when he realized that the other boy was still waiting for an answer. 

"Sebastian has also expressed his concern that these distractions have been affecting your work," the earl stated, "a shattered greenhouse window was the most concerning of results-" 

Finnian lowered his head and could only murmur an "I'm sorry," as he tried to avoid the Young Master's gaze. The young lord seemed to be studying his expression, and Finnian couldn't help but glance up. While he'd been expecting to see an angered expression, he was instead met with a relatively calm, placid expression on the earl's face. 

"May I ask what has been distracting you?" The Young Master questioned.

"I... erm..." Finnian began to shift from foot to foot, "I have been... distracted by..." he trailed off, swallowing thickly. In a spur of the moment decision, he decided to tell the truth, "distracted by you..." 

The young earl's brow rose in slight surprise, "me?" He questioned, and Finny heard discontent in his voice. "Are you implying that I've done something to prevent you from completing your work adequately?" 

Finnian immediately shook his head, "n... no!" He stuttered rather quickly, "nothing you've done," he said. "It's... It's more like... feelings," he admitted slowly, "feelings about... you." He ended weakly, staring at the floor.

"Feelings?" Was the soft-toned echo before the Young Master took on a rather severe expression, "what sort of... feelings... are you referring to?" He questioned as he studied Finnian's face. 

"I..." Finnian took a deep breath, "lately, I've been feeling... as if... I'm drawn to you?" Finnian said nervously, "like... a..." he fumbled slightly, trying to find the right word, "in... infascination?" 

"Infatuation," the Young Master corrected gently, his tone not holding any malice or discontent, to Finnian's surprise.

Finnian gave a slight nod, "infatuation," he repeated softly, "I feel more... attached... and more admiring of you," he paused with a small, forced laugh. "I mean... I've always admired you," he admitted, "but lately it's been... stronger?" He began to fumble with his words.

The young earl was silent as Finnian continued to speak, "I just... for some reason... feel like I want to... spend time with you and become closer to you..." He frowned. "When I asked the others what they thought..." he froze, "oh! I d-didn't tell them I was thinking of you, of course! But... Bard says that he thinks I have... well... a..." he trailed off with a mumble.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch that," Young Master said calmly, tilting his head towards Finny for him to repeat.

"I... he says... that it sounds like... a crush," Finnian mumbled again, only loud enough to be heard.

The young lord paused. He had been thinking something similar- likening what the gardener said to feelings Elizabeth had expressed to him. However, he hadn't exactly expected Finnian to feel such a way as well. He grappled for a response, forcing himself to think of something that would not increase Finny's anxiety. 

"And what do you think of these feelings? What do you believe they are?" He questioned softly. 

"I think..." Finnian paused; what did he think? He gnawed at his bottom lip for a moment before speaking again. "I think that... it could be a crush," he admitted, "I have never... I've never really met any other people to know..." He looked down at his feet, "I know that I love Bardroy and Mei Rin... but not... not like this," he admitted. "I care for them, yeah, but for some reason, when I think of you... it's different?"

His young master stayed quiet as he spoke, so Finny continued, "and I get nervous... I feel like I want to impress you... make you happy... I wonder if I can make you smile, and the idea makes me happy... I'm not sure... I think that I love you... but I've never been in love before... I don't know what it feels like." 

The other boy looked thoughtful before he spoke, "what you feel for Bardroy and Mei Rin, and I'm presuming Sebastian and Tanaka as well, that would be familial love." He explained in a calm tone, "you view them as your family, and thus you love them as family," he continued to explain. "However, you say that you do not feel the same way for me as them." 

Finnian nodded as he tried retaining what his master was saying; he was often forgetful and didn't want the other boy to have to repeat himself. 

"I can't tell you what your feelings are, of course," the Young Master murmured, "but I can attempt to help you understand them." The dark-haired boy propped his elbows on the desk, folding his hands and resting his chin atop his hands. "Have you ever heard of platonic love?" He questioned.

Finnian shook his head, beginning to gnaw at his lip once more in anxiety. He had not yet been scolded, nor been yelled at, but worried that perhaps that would be the way the conversation ended. 

The Young Master gave a slight nod, "I didn't think so, but it doesn't hurt to ask," he said, "if you were to have- as you said- a 'crush,' you would be feeling romantic love," he explained. "However, I do not believe that you have a romantic interest in me. Or perhaps you do," he gave a slight raise of his shoulders. "I have no way of knowing what you're feeling- nor would it be appropriate for me to make that decision for you." 

Finnian gave another nod as the earl continued, "however, what I do believe you are feeling is platonic love." He added, "which is a strong admiration and even connection with someone, often people will simply call it a friendship." He explained this in a relatively calm tone, "some may argue that having platonic love for someone is the same as romantic- but that is not usually the case. Do you understand?" 

Thinking over the information, Finny once again nodded, "I understand," he said simply. 

The Young Master thought for a moment before speaking, "I do believe that after the events in Germany, it would be reasonable for you to feel an attachment to me," he mused. "However, I can obviously not accept the idea of a romantic relationship with you. Firstly, it would be improper for us to do so due to our roles. Not to mention my and Lady Elizabeth's betrothal."

Finnian lowered his head, feeling somewhat foolish for getting his hopes up. 

"However, if you so desire, we can entertain the idea of a friendship." 

Finnian's eyes widened slightly, "Ciel?" The words left his lips before he could stop it, and he immediately froze. "I-I mean, Young Master!" he stuttered, trying to make up for the mistake, "I-I'm sorry!" 

The other paused, before smirking in amusement, "you may call me by my name," he responded calmly, "when we are not in the presence of guests or other servants." He tilted his head towards Finny, "I take that as an acceptance of friendship, then?" He mused, before continuing, "if you desire, we may spend time in each other's company- as friends." 

Finnian gave an eager nod, "okay!" He said rather brightly, "I would like that, Ciel!" 

A slight, amused smile crossed Ciel's lips, "please note that this doesn't excuse you from your duties," he said, "you cannot allow our friendship to distract you from your work." 

"I won't, I promise!" Finnian vowed, his eyes full of light and his worry fading. "Thank you, Ciel!" He said, the name feeling familiar on his lips. 

Ciel gave a slight nod, "I assume that you have duties to attend to before dinner," he said, "and Sebastian would not like you to be taken from them, neither would I," he continued, "however, after supper, perhaps we can play a board game, or I suppose I could teach you how to play chess-" 

Finnian gave a beaming smile, "I would like that." 


	2. Puppy Love Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I want to be given the opportunity to discover my own feelings and to be with someone of my choosing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my 'sequel' to Puppy Love- as I've decided that most of these fics actually are going to be more connected than originally planned. Also, I realize I could've just made Puppy Love into one big fic but... Eh... One shots are more my thing. Anyways, enjoy!

Ciel wasn't sure when things had begun to change. 

He'd been sitting in his favourite chair in the parlour when he realized that he was no longer paying any attention to the chessboard on the table. His gaze was on the blonde across from him, who's tongue poked out of his mouth in thought. His eyes, which Ciel knew rather well (light blue with mottled green,) were pinned on the pieces in front of them.

Finny finally lifted up a piece from the board with his brows scrunched in concentration and hesitantly moved it to a different rank. For a moment, he stared at the choice he'd made before he lifted his gaze to meet Ciel's- a bright smile on his lips and cheerfulness dancing in his eyes. 

Once more, Ciel was swept away by the tidal wave of odd feelings that had been plaguing him for days now... Emotions that only seemed to come about whenever he spent time with the energetic gardener. 

Ciel found himself giving a slight, half of a smile before he looked halfheartedly towards the chessboard. 

He analyzed the move that Finny had just made. Personally, it wasn't one that Ciel himself would have made, but to be fair, Finnian hadn't been that great a chess player. From the beginning- despite Ciel's many attempts to teach him to play stronger, Finny hadn't been all that great. Though the blonde seemed perfectly content with losing, and Ciel... 

Ciel found that he didn't quite mind a passive game when Finny was around.

When the two would play together, Finny would often spend time talking about anything and everything. He'd ramble about the flowers and nature in the garden and the silly little conversations he'd have with the other servants. And Ciel- despite having little interest in plants or servant's gossip- would listen.

And often, during his work, Ciel would find his mind wandering to conversations with the blonde. 

As he filled in ledgers, he would often be distracted by thoughts about daisies- and how they represented innocence. When taking his afternoon tea, he'd find himself chuckling at foxgloves and how they were rumoured in fairy tales to be worn like socks by hunting foxes. 

While he would write letters to the queen, Ciel would find himself staring down at the garden. He'd note that the sunflowers- Finny's favourite of all- had grown tall and beautiful in the summer sun. 

"Ciel?" He was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of Finny's voice and looked up to see that the blonde was watching him with worried eyes, his head cocked slightly to the side, "Is everything okay?"

Ciel tried to brush off the other boy's worries with a dose of embarrassment, "yes, I'm fine," he said, waving his hand slightly and hoping that his face was not as red as it felt. "Simply thinking," he added, before deciding to move an unimportant piece to a different location on the board. It was a move that clearly asked for the piece to be taken by the gardener, but he knew that Finny wouldn't take it anyways. 

"Do you want to play something else?" Finny's expression was oddly focused on him now, slightly creased in worry as he focused on Ciel- the chess game now forgotten. "Or... I could leave you alone if you'd like?" 

Ciel was about to once again brush away the other boy's worried. Still, the worry in the gardener's eyes caused him to hesitate. "Finny," he paused briefly, "do you recall our discussion about types of love?" 

Finny looked a tad confused- an expression which Ciel's heart fluttered slightly at, and then he nodded. "That's when we started being friends, right?" 

Knowing that the other boy was somewhat forgetful, Ciel reassured with a nod, slightly pleased that the boy remembered the occasion. "It's been a while since that conversation, and I was simply wondering where your mind was on it." When Finnian continued to look at him in confusion, he clarified, "when we had our discussion- you hadn't been sure if your feelings were romantic or platonic." He explained, "I was simply wondering if you have sorted out those thoughts since our friendship has grown?" 

Finnian tensed, and Ciel found himself once again studying the boy's eyes- an action he found himself doing quite a bit as of late. Large, normally curiosity-filled eyes, with bright blues and greens mingling around big, round pupils... Currently looked nervous and avoided Ciel's gaze by darting around the room.

The blonde opened his mouth to speak but shut it again, wringing his hands slightly as he shifted in his seat. After being silent for several moments, Finnian took a deep breath, releasing it audibly. "I didn't..." he bit his lip for a moment in an attempt to calm himself. "I didn't want to make that decision," he admitted with a light blush dusting his cheeks, "I didn't wanna ruin being your friend..." 

Ciel gave a slight nod, "I understand," he murmured before Finnian could continue to stress himself out. And he did, or so he hoped, understand that Finny's feelings were just as complex as his own. "I have been considering that conversation quite a bit lately," he admitted, watching as Finny's face turned to an expression of confusion and worry. "I feel... perhaps... my own feelings needed an evaluation." 

"What do you mean?" Finny questioned nervously, squeezing his hands together in an attempt to calm himself. He tensed slightly as a thought crossed his mind, "do you not want to be friends anymore?" 

Tears misted Finny's eyes, and Ciel was immediately struck with his own sense of unhappiness at sight. The other boy being in such a terrified state was... painful... to him... despite his usual apathetic nature. 

"No. That is not the case," Ciel said, trying to keep his tone even, "quite the opposite, in fact." He winced internally at the way his voice wavered. "As of late, I have been debating whether or not... my feelings have perhaps... evolved... into a romantic interest." He finalized and felt his cheeks begin to heat up as he realized just how ridiculous he must have sounded. 

Immediately, a million expressions flitted across Finny's face. Surprise, confusion, insecurity, worry... And Ciel briefly debted, taking back the statement and forgetting that the conversation had ever happened. 

Part of him wondered if the boy was perhaps... turned away... from him for showing such weakness. 

_ No. Finny wouldn't ever judge you for such things...  _

After a few moments of grappling for words, Finnian bit down on his lip, "but Lady Elizabeth...?" He said hesitantly as if a joke was being played on him, and he was trying to avoid falling for it. 

Ciel took a deep breath, "the topic of Elizabeth is... complicated." He admitted, "due to our status, we are expected to marry... and I have grown to care for her quite a bit... however..." he swallowed thickly; it's too late to turn back now. "I believe that... my care for her stems from growing up together... I believe that my love for her is more... familial." He said as he looked down at his hands, twisting his ring around his thumb. "It's certainly not what I feel for you..." 

Finny nodded, "I understand," he murmured. Ciel saw tears pricking the corners of his eyes, "but then... We can't really do anything, yeah? You're still gonna have to marry her." He looked down, "and she cares about you really much-'' He ran his hands over each other, trying to focus on anything but Ciel's face. 

"I know," Ciel admitted softly, "I was planning on speaking with Elizabeth," he continued to twist his ring, "I don't believe I can continue to allow her to believe her feelings are being returned when they aren't-" 

Finnian flew to his feet, bumping the table in front of them and causing the chess pieces to shift. "You can't do that!" He said, rather loudly. "Everyone expects you to marry her! You'll get in trouble, you can't just give up everything because of-..." He paused, comprehension finally dawning on him, "you would... you would give that all up for me?" He said numbly, realization growing. 

Ciel lifted his gaze from his ring back to the blonde, "I have been thinking this over for quite some time," he admitted, "I... I want to be allowed to discover my own feelings and be with someone of my choosing." He paused, "but then again, perhaps, I'm just being caught up in silly emotions that don't truly mean anything..." he leaned into his chair, "it's all terribly confusing; I'm not even sure I know anymore..." 

Finny had never heard Ciel speak so uneasily, so unconfidently. The gardener was silent, continuing to chew on his bottom lip as he thought over what Ciel had to say. "I feel the same way," he mumbled softly, "about you... I realized a while ago that I wanted to be more than friends..." He began to play with the strings of his hat. "I want there to be a chance for us... but there's too much..." 

"Risk," Ciel filled in for him, understandingly, "there are too many variables," he continued. "There is the chance that our relationship won't last... there's Lady Elizabeth's reaction... The pressure of my position, our status... The fact that it would be frowned upon..." He sighed, "it certainly complicates things." When he didn't respond, Ciel continued, "however... I think we could make a valiant attempt." 

"You-... Ciel?" A light stutter in Finnian's voice made Ciel's lips quirk into an amused smirk.

"For the meantime, no one would have to know," Ciel explained, "we could entertain a romantic relationship until we get our emotions figured out... If or when we find that the relationship works for us... Then we will take our next steps to handle other variables." He finished explaining, "what are your thoughts?" 

Finnian shifted slightly in his seat, "I would like... I would like to try," he admitted, "but I don't... you could get into so much trouble-" he fretted, "if anyone found out you could-" 

"We will cross that road when we get to it," Ciel gently cut him off, "at the moment, I'm not worried." 

Finnian nodded, "then... I want to do it," he said firmly. "I want a closer relationship with you," he said, trying to handle his own anxiety. There were so many things that could go wrong, but he felt giddy over the idea of finally having a chance to be with Ciel. At making him smile, at spending time with him, holding him, and being there for him... 

"Then it's settled," Ciel said with a light, ghost of a smile, "I suppose this will mark the beginning of us." 

"Us," Finnian echoed, liking the sound of it. He beamed at Ciel before a slight blush crossed his features, "that means that I can finally tell you..." He said nervously, "I love you, Ciel." 

Ciel was somewhat taken aback, his eyes widening slightly. He hadn't expected Finnian to say such a thing so soon. Still, Ciel somehow felt... exhilarated... hearing those words sounded so confidently, with such adoration. He felt that odd feeling again and could feel his face growing slightly warm before he responded. "And I love you-" 

And the words felt so sure on his lips, felt so right and so warm, and so comforting. So he repeated himself.

"I love you too, Finnian." 


	3. Comfort Zones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciel and Finnian have a discussion about comfort zones and boundaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rather important to me, because I think a lot of my own relationships wouldn't have ended so badly if the discussion of boundaries had come up. I think it's something that should be discussed a lot more in relationships.

Ciel gave a small sigh as he scratched the nib of his fountain pen against the page, creating swirls and blotches in ink. He had several ledgers and notes piled on his desk and was currently in the process of responding to a large stack of letters... Well, that's what he was supposed to be doing.

The pile of letters that he was supposed to be reviewing sat on his desk, most of them being invitations to events he had no interest in attending. He'd gotten about two letters into the stack when he grew bored of reading them and pushed them aside in favour of doodling in the margins of his other work. 

Ciel began to sketch out the details of a face in ink, scritching in fluffy hair- held back by bobby pins- and big expressive eyes. As he stared down at the roughly drawn face, it briefly crossed his mind that he hadn't seen much of his partner that day, and immediately, he was struck by a craving for attention. 

Pushing out his chair, Ciel put down his pen and padded out of the room into the hallway. Passing the familiar corridor's numerous windows, he headed down the stairs to the servant's quarters. Quietly making his way through the manor, Ciel found himself musing over the oddity of the past weeks. 

Never had he expected himself to become so enamoured with another person. It was... Odd. 

He was infatuated, in complete and utter adoration of someone... He was worried about Finnian's wellbeing and wanted to ensure his happiness and preserve his carefree nature. He was in awe of the gardener, and it was strange... He never thought he could feel such things. 

Ciel stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked down the hall with a hum. He wasn't exactly sure where Finny would be at that time of day. Perhaps in the kitchen, helping Bardroy with chores- due to a lack of work in the garden (Winter had recently begun.) Or, Ciel mused, he could be in his room, enjoying free time to himself.

With a shake of his head, Ciel brushed off that last possibility. Thus far, there wasn't a time when Finny had free time and didn't choose to visit Ciel. There had even been times where Ciel would drop everything he was doing, just to spend time with the blonde- when the other boy had nothing to do. 

Deciding the kitchen was the most likely possibility, Ciel began walking down the dimly lit hall towards it. He made mental notes to himself on renovations that could be made to the servant's wing.  _ Have the servants just been putting up with this disrepair?  _ He shook off the thought as he reached the kitchen and paused at the sound of voices. 

"... you're never around here anymore," Bardroy was saying as he scrubbed dishes in the sink, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "What gives, eh?" He said teasingly towards Finny.

Finnian gave a sheepish grin towards the older man, "'m sorry," the blonde said, "just been a bit... busy." 

"Busy? In the dead of Winter?" Bardroy gave a scoff, "I sure as hell know there's no chores for ya outside, so what exactly have ya been busy with, then?" He turned to raise his brow at the teen.

"I... well... I've got a friend," Finny said carefully, knowing better than to mention Ciel directly. One of their rules in their relationship- for their own safety- know one could learn of their partnership. "I've been visiting them a bunch-" 

"A friend?" Mei Rin echoed from where she was drying the clean plates that Bardroy handed her before she passed them to Finnian to be put away. "Ohh dear, is it a girl?" She questioned immediately, looking rather mischievous. When Finnian didn't respond, the maid laughed, " _ it is! _ "

"Attaboy, Finny!" Bardroy said with a boisterous laugh before saying, "do we know 'er?" He questioned, turning to look as the boy flushed and stuttered to respond. 

"It's not... it's not a girl!" Finnian tried to argue, "it's..." he gave a sigh before sheepishly saying, "you don't know her." He sounded slightly dejected as he focused on putting the dishes into the cupboard. 

"Who woulda thought our little Finnian would have a girlfriend!" Bardroy teased, pulling the boy in to ruffle his hair, knocking the bobby pins askew and causing it to fall in his eyes. 

"Baldo! Your hands are wet!" Finny whined slightly as he squirmed, "and they're not a girlfriend!" He said quickly, "just a friend!" He pushed Bardroy away (mindful of his strength, he didn't want to hurt him.) "Stop being so mean!" He said with a slight pout. 

"Agh," Bardroy scoffed slightly as he flicked his hands towards the boy- spattering him with water, "we're not bein' mean, Finny! We're just teasin' ya, y'know?" 

Mei Rin looked to Finnian, interested, "what's her name?" She inquired suddenly, "what does she look like?" 

Finnian opened his mouth to respond, but Bardroy cut him off, "ah, that doesn't matter much! Can she cook? What about-" he paused and gave a chuckle, "well actually, you might be too young for that-" 

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Finny tilted his head " _ that?"  _ he echoed. 

Mei Rin gave a half giggle and lightly pushed Bard's shoulder, "now he's curious, yes he is!" 

"That's not a bad thing," Bardroy snorted. "Y'know, I was his age once, and that's usually when it starts," he gave Finny a grin and a wink, "best to know yer boundaries now, yeah?"

"Boundaries?" Finny repeated in confusion.

Ciel had enough of listening to them, teasing the blonde and gave a rather dramatic scoff as he entered the room. He put into place his best apathetic glare, "what are you lot dawdling about for?" He said rather scoldingly, "honestly, it takes three of you to wash some dishes?" He questioned with a stern expression. 

Evidently, he startled them, as Mei Rin dropped the plate she'd been drying- which shattered immediately on the floor. Bardroy jumped slightly and nearly slipped on the water he'd gotten on the floor. Finnian's head shot up instantly, and Ciel amusedly noted his eyes lighting up.

"Sorry, Young Master!" The three said in unison as Mei Rin scrambled to clean up the mess she'd made. 

"Finnian," Ciel said once he saw the other two getting back to work, "are all of your chores finished?" 

"Yes, Young Master!" Finnian said with a nod, looking rather happy to see Ciel. 

Forcing himself not to look amused by the other's enthusiasm, Ciel spoke, "I have some chores for you upstairs, come with me-" he said in a neutral tone. He looked to Mei Rin and Bardroy, "once you two are done, I expect you to complete your own chores, individually." Both of them nodded as the boys left. 

Silently, the two walked to the parlour, with Finnian staying a few paces behind Ciel- not speaking. He didn't know if there was anyone around to overhear. Ciel didn't acknowledge Finnian's presence until they were both behind closed doors. At that point, both boys let out a sigh they'd been holding and looked at each other with amusement. 

"That was an interesting little conversation," Ciel commented after a moment, giving Finny a teasing look. "Please, do tell me about this girl, Finny-" He smirked as Finnian's face turned a bright red. 

"Not you too!" The blonde gave a pout but could not help the smile that always found it's way onto his face whenever he was around Ciel. "They're always teasing me like that lately-" He added with a blush.

"I'm not surprised," Ciel said as he sat down, "they view you as younger family," he said, "is teasing not what family does?" He said pointedly as he gestured for Finnian to sit in the seat across from him.

"I dunno-" Finnian admitted, eagerly sitting down and bouncing in place, "they are my only family," he reminded the other boy. "So I 'pose so?" He thought for a moment, "though I don't really know what Baldo was talking about," he mused while tilting his head, "about boundaries and all that-" 

There were two cups of tea sitting on the small end table between their chairs, steaming and accompanied by a sugar dish. Ciel, who'd never been fond of sugar in his tea, took one of the saucers and hummed. "I do believe..." He paused as he took a drag of the tea, which was prepared exactly as he preferred. "That Bardroy was referring to sex." He said, tone a bit disgusted and in detest at the word.

Finnian's nose scrunched up a bit at this, "oh." He said simply, before his face turned a bright red, "oh-" 

"And, before you say anything about that subject," Ciel said in a rather severe tone. "Due to my own personal reasons, I have no interest in such actions," he said flatly, "if you desire such things, I'm afraid that I-"

"I'm not," Finnian said rather quickly, "I don't really... like... that sorta stuff," he admitted, nose curling up once again. His face was still rather red, Ciel noted amusedly. 

"I am glad that we are on the same page, then," Ciel said calmly. "However, there is something to take from that conversation," he added, "Bardroy was correct in saying that we should learn each other's boundaries-" 

"But you said-" 

"Boundaries don't only exist in sexual situations," Ciel said patiently, "anything that you are unsure about or uncomfortable with is a boundary- as far as I'm concerned." When Finny looked confused, he explained. "For example. Given your past, I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy being restrained," he said, "even if you could get free, it may trigger bad memories- therefore, it wouldn't be pleasant." 

Finny thought for a moment before giving a slight nod of agreement, somewhat touched that Ciel had considered such small details. "I understand," he said with another nod, "this is important, then?" 

"I would say so," Ciel agreed, "though some may not think so." He placed his tea on the table between them, watching as Finny began filling his own cup with quite a bit of sugar. "Would you like to discuss boundaries, then?" He said, tilting his head in questioning. Finnian gave a quick nod, "why don't you start, then?" 

There was a slight pause as Finny thought for a moment, "well... like you said, I don't really like bein' held down," he said slowly, before frowning, "because of the doctors that would..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "But I don't mind it somethings... like with hugs and cuddles, it's just-" he found himself lacking words to explain. 

"You don't like being held down against your will," Ciel supplied gently. "I'm quite the same way, however," he paused thoughtfully, "I don't think there will be a problem with hugging," he reassured, "as long as we respect each other's comfort zones. If either of us is uncomfortable, the other should respect their requests to stop." 

Finnian gave yet another understanding nod, "should I ask... before hugging you?" He asked nervously. 

"I think that would be best," Ciel said. "I would hate to get startled and then unfairly take it out on you," he frowned slightly before adding, "perhaps... with all physical contact... we should ask each other first. That is until we are more familiar with the other's comfort zones." 

Finnian smiled, "alright, so I'll ask to cuddle, and you'll tell me if that's okay?" He said. Ciel nodded- knowing that repetition was the easiest way for Finnian to learn and understand. The gardener was rather forgetful but always quite eager to remember conversations with Ciel.

Ciel thought once again before adding, "I also think that we should be open... but understand that there are topics we might be uncomfortable with." He said, "obviously, if there is something that you are feeling worried or frightened by, then please tell me." He requested earnestly, "however, there are some topics which I would not like to discuss." He swallowed thickly, "and I would like to request that I not be pressured into doing so." 

"Okay," Finnian nodded once more, "you'll tell me when you don't wanna talk about stuff, right?" He asked, waiting for Ciel to confirm before continuing. "You'll also tell me if I get to be too much?" He asked hesitantly. 

"Too much?" Ciel echoed, brow furrowed. "Do you mean your presence?" Ciel examined his expression before speaking once more, "I don't think we will ever reach that point. I quite enjoy your presence and don't mind that you are much more energetic than myself. I also don't feel smothered by you, if that's what you were worried about... but... if there is ever a time where I require solitude, I will let you know." He quickly added, "and this will never be in malice or irritation. If I need to be alone, it will not be because of you, understood?"

Finnian understood and made that known before another thought crossed his mind. "Ciel? Why do you know so much about these things?" He asked with curiosity in his tone, "about love and boundaries and such-" 

Ciel froze slightly, "that is a difficult question," he admitted, lifting his teacup to his mouth.

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to-," Finny said immediately. 

"No, it's alright," Ciel said with a wave of his hand. "I don't mind... It's simply difficult to answer," he said as he took a swig of tea. "The reason I'm so informed on such topics is simple because... I've read about them," he paused, hesitating. "There was a point around two years ago where I was... unsure... if I was feeling things correctly..." He explained, "I thought perhaps something was... wrong... with me." He sighed softly, giving a bittersweet smile, "I now know that that is not the case." 

Finny frowned slightly but didn't push for more explanation, "at least it's better now, yeah?" 

The younger boy gave a slight half-smile, "yes, it is," he said, "I've found that there are people whom I care deeply for, and yes, that includes you-" he chuckled when the boy blushed at the reassurance. "I feel quite different than I did two years ago... and I'm quite glad about it too." 

Finny tilted his head before a thoughtful frown graced his features, "Ciel?" He questioned slightly, "can I..." he paused and looked somewhat embarrassed. "Can I kiss you?" He said finally, blushing brightly. 

Ciel's eyes widened slightly; a light pink appeared on his cheeks as he was taken off guard by the question. He forced himself to clear his throat and responded, "you may." He said slowly, although he was unsure of his own words, and his heart began to seize nervously as Finnian set down his teacup and slid out of his chair. 

Anxiety clutched at Ciel's chest as the other boy grew nearer and gently placed his hand on Ciel's cheek. He'd learned a bit about his strength and was quite gentle, sure not to hurt Ciel. When Finnian grew in nearer- Ciel's hands became shaky, and his breath caught in his throat. 

He forced himself to close his eyes and calm down, tried to remind himself that this was Finny and that Finny would never hurt him. Yet dark thoughts and memories surfaced at the top of his mind... and then... 

The gentle touch of Finny's lips pressed lightly on the tip of his nose. 

Ciel opened his eyes immediately in confusion as Finnian leaned away from him with a small, innocent smile. "Ciel, what was the point of talking about all of this if you're not going to tell me no?" He said with a sad smile, "if you're uncomfortable, you gotta tell me, okay?" 

The blush on Ciel's cheeks darkened, "I... I apologize-" he stuttered... he stuttered? "I suppose I will... have to remember that..." he said, flustered, "I'm sorry-" 

"Don't be sorry," Finnian said immediately, "this is new for both of us! We've got to learn some things," he gave a beam, "but at the end of the day, I still get to say "I love you" and that's the best part!" 

Ciel began to laugh, not at Finnian, but in a rather content and comfortable way. "I don't think I've told you this... but you're rather cute when you say things such as that-" 

Now the other boy's cheeks were also glowing a bright red.

Their relationship might have been an odd one. Nervous and new, awkward and unsure. But it was emotional and content, and both respected each other. They were willing to learn with each other, grow together... Experience this new situation as a team... 

Ciel thought it suited them rather well.


	4. Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finny keeps Ciel company after a night terror.

The moon was bright tonight.

Finnian found himself staring up at the ample light in the sky with awe-filled eyes as he walked through the silent manor halls. It looked almost close enough to touch, he thought. Humming quietly, Finny's bare feet padded on the cold hallway floors, and he swayed his arms slightly. 

Bardroy, Mei Rin, and Tanaka were all in bed by now and likely had been for a while. Ciel would be asleep as well, he thought. Yet, something was keeping Finnian awake, though he wasn't exactly sure what. 

Usually, when he couldn't sleep, it was due to memories of the past. Anxiety and fears would plague him and give him nightmares the moment he closed his eyes. Or, on better nights like those in recent passing, he would be overcome by giddiness and butterflies in his stomach from thoughts of Ciel. 

However, neither of those were to blame that night.

Oddly enough, Finnian hadn't spotted Sebastian on his walk through the manor. He knew that the butler usually completed chores at all hours of the night, and Finnian had never really seen him sleep. It seemed that he would do chores throughout the night- and still have the energy to do his other tasks when everyone else woke at five. Perhaps tonight, Sebastian was getting some much-needed rest, Finnian supposed. 

Finnian continued to hum softly as he walked, running his hands along the cold window sills and smiling softly as his mind wandered to the events of that day. It hadn't been particularly significant, but every day at the manor was good in his eyes, especially those spent with Ciel.

Sebastian hadn't asked him to do many chores that day, meaning that Finny could spend the majority of the day with his partner. 

They'd played chess, which Finny felt he was getting better at (he'd won his first game, though he was sure that Ciel had let him.) After they'd gotten tired of board games, Ciel had done something new. He'd asked Finnian if he could have a hug- before resting his head on Finny's shoulder and wrapping his arms around the blonde. 

Finnian had been so awestruck that they sat that way for quite some time, dozing off at some point. When they had awoken, there was steaming tea and a new board game waiting for them on the table. 

As he recalled the event, Finny's face heated a bit, exhilarated that Ciel trusted him enough for physical contact- and to even fall asleep in his presence. Finnian paused with a small smile at one of the large manor windows, staring out towards the snowy garden. 

He desperately wished for it to be sunny again so that he could clean out the dead brush and replace it with a flourish of life for everyone to enjoy. Not that he didn't like winter and the pristine white snow it brought; simply put, he enjoyed summer and spring more. 

After a few moments of standing by the window, a sound pulled Finnian from his thoughts, a soft whining followed by a distressed yelp and several tiny cries. 

A frown fell onto the gardener's face as he looked around himself, not seeing anyone else in the hall. He tilted his head, listening for more sounds when he realized that the source of the distress was coming from the room directly in front of him. Without realizing it, the blonde had been standing right in front of Ciel's bedroom. 

Finnian didn't hesitate in opening the door- with fears that someone was perhaps harming his partner or that something was wrong. But when he entered, the room was dark, and the only one present was the sleeping earl. Finnian looked around for signs that someone else had been there- but the room was unturned. As he was about to leave, Ciel gave a slight whine, and his figure began to thrash slightly. 

Drawing closer to the bed, Finnian debated whether he should wake the other boy from his nightmare. However, before he could make the decision, Ciel's eyes shot open and with ragged breath- he looked around the room. He startled slightly at seeing Finnian's silhouetted figure. In a matter of seconds, Finnian was staring down the barrel of a shakily wielded gun. 

Finnian froze in his tracks and rose his hands in a non-defensive way. "Ciel..." he said gently, "it's only me... it's Finny," he told the other boy, staring at him in the dim moonlight. Intense fear was stamped across the younger boy's face, his eyes wide and breath coming in soft huffs. One eye- a peacock blue with blotched lighter blue- and another, speckled purple with a symbol that glowed in the darkness, both stared back at Finnian in terror. Finnian was somewhat struck at realizing that Ciel likely didn't want him to see the violet eye that was currently gazing at him. "It's just me..." He murmured, taking a hesitant step forward.

Slowly and with shaking hands, Ciel lowered the gun, his eyes growing regretful, "Finny?" He murmured, "what... what are you doing here?" He said with a tiny hint of unease in his voice. 

"I was going for a walk when I heard you..." he paused, not wanting to say that the other boy had been crying, "... having a nightmare," he said weakly. "I wanted to make sure you were alright," he paused, "you sleep with a gun under your pillow too?" He asked curiously, tilting his head in amusement. 

Ciel began to relax, but suddenly his eyes widened again, and he scrambled to grab his eye covering from his bedside table. As he tried to cover up the violet eye with the cloth, Finny gave a sad smile. 

"Ciel, it's okay," he murmured gently, "I already saw it," he said while looking down, "I won't ask if you don't want to talk about it," he added as he drew closer to the other boy. 

Going slack, Ciel let the eye patch drop into his lap and sighed. "I'm sorry for causing you to worry," he said as he shifted to the side and patted the bed beside him for Finny to sit. He then raised a brow at the other boy, "who else do you know that sleeps with a gun?" He snorted. 

Finnian gave a laugh, "Baldo and Mei Rin," he said, and Ciel nodded- that made sense. As Finnian sat down beside Ciel, he frowned once more, "you're still shaking-" he mumbled worriedly.

"I'll be alright," Ciel said dismissively, "it was a simple night terror as you said, I will get over it..." 

Finnian reached out for the other boy's hand- pausing as he waited for a nod of permission- before taking it into his own. "Y'know, you can talk to me," he said, "if you want that is... I get nightmares too," he admitted, "sometimes it helps to just... talk about them-" 

Ciel squeezed his hand lightly, "I don't want to keep you awake," he said rather quickly, "you should go back to bed; I'm sure it's late..." Finny knew that was Ciel's way of saying he likely wasn't going to talk about it. 

"I don't want to sleep until I know you're okay," Finnian said a bit stubbornly, "even if that means sitting here until you go back to sleep." 

Ciel tensed slightly before giving a chuckle, "you worry too much," he said as he lay back on the bed- his legs still draped over the edge. "I suppose you'll be here a while then," he mused quietly, "I don't often fall asleep after a terror." 

"That's not good," Finny mumbled worriedly, "you need your rest-" 

"I'm aware of that," Ciel snorted in response. "It's difficult once my mind is occupied by memories..." he raised the hand that Finny was clutching- staring at their intertwined hands. "Sometimes, I wish that I could forget what happened..." He said in a whisper of a tone. 

"I understand," Finnian sympathized as he shifted to lie beside the other boy. "I wish my bad memories would go away too... but then... if the bad stuff never happened, I guess neither would the good," he said softly. "If I had never been 'Subject 12,' then I would have never become 'Finnian,'" he said in a reminiscent tone, "so... sometimes the bad stuff isn't so bad."

Ciel was quiet, still staring at their hands, "do you ever think about what would have happened if the past were different? If you'd been given a different life?" He questioned, lowering their hands to stare at the ceiling.

Finnian turned his head slightly to examine Ciel's face, "why would I?" He asked, "if I had a different life, we would've never met, and I wouldn't be as happy as I am right now-" 

Looking thoughtful for a moment, Ciel murmured, "I suppose not... But you never know if you could've been happier elsewhere..." He turned to meet Finnian's eyes. 

Once again, staring into the contrasting blue and violet, Finnian chewed his lip nervously, "maybe. But if I'm already happy, why would I wish for something else?" He studied Ciel's expression, "Ciel... Are you... are you not happy?" He questioned worriedly. 

"That's not it," Ciel reassured, once again squeezing Finnian's hand. "In fact... I believe I'm more than happy," he admitted. "For the first time in quite a while... I feel like nothing is wrong... I suppose I simply... wish some people were still around." He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. "Finny?" 

"Yes?"

"Can you spend the night here?" Ciel's voice wavered in a way that caused him to flush slightly.

"If you'd like," Finnian smiled, "we could even cuddle if you want-" he offered as he sat up, "I think you need a hug at least," he smiled sadly, "hugs make everything better." 

Ciel gave a slight nod and shifted so that he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, "I think... I think I wouldn't mind cuddling," he admitted with a blush dusting his cheeks. "But I don't want to wake you again if we fall asleep and I have another terror-" 

"I don't mind," Finnian promised as he tilted his head. "If you have another nightmare, I _want_ you to wake me up," he said, oddly serious. "That way, we can get through it together, yeah?" He smiled. 

A very slight smile graced Ciel's lips, "very well if you would like." He murmured as he placed his gun and eye covering in the nightstand drawer. He pushed back the covers and began to lie down while Finnian nervously lay down beside him, leaving a small gap between them. 

However, after laying there for a few moments, Ciel frowned slightly, "I thought we were supposed to be cuddling?" He questioned with an amused tone as he shifted himself to be closer to Finny. The gardener's face grew bright red as the smaller boy pressed himself against the blonde's chest, draping an arm around him. 

Slowly- and mindful of his strength- Finnian tensely wrapped an arm around Ciel, unsure if he would startle the boy or not. Finny watched as Ciel closed his eyes and steadied his breath, relaxing considerably. And Finnian tried relaxing as well, despite worries of hurting or frightening the other teen.

Ciel, as if sensing the blonde's worries, murmured, "you're not going to hurt me... I have full confidence that you can control your strength. And if I get startled, I've put the gun away- so you are safe as well." 

Finnian hadn't really been worried about the gun but nodded slightly. "Okay," he murmured as he closed his eyes, letting out a soft breath, "goodnight, Ciel." 

"Goodnight, Finny... I love you..." the dark-haired boy murmured drowsily.

As usual, those three words sent a red tone across Finny's cheeks, and he smiled, "I love you too." 

He never got tired of saying that. 


	5. Hard to Keep Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It feels so wrong to keep doing this," he said in a near-whisper, "every time she comes over, I feel so guilty-..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This next few chapters are all gonna be segments of the same scenario. I'm not really fond of time skips in the middle of fics, so I kinda just separated different times into different parts. The next parts should hopefully be up rather quickly though, so not much of a wait.

"It would seem that we will have to delay your lessons this morning, as Lady Elizabeth has requested to visit today-..." 

Ciel fought the urge to groan as he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "Why, exactly?" He questioned as he looked towards his butler- who was currently pouring tea to steep. "She knows that I'm busy-" he huffed. 

A small ghost of a smirk fell onto Sebastian's lips as he set the tea aside and reached for the earl's clothing. "Yes, I do believe that playing board games with Finnian and ignoring your actual work all day is quite busy-" 

"Quiet you-" Ciel huffed, though there was a light pink now dusting his cheeks as he turned his head to stare at the far wall, avoiding the butler's gaze. "I still don't quite understand how you found out," he muttered. 

Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's comment, "my lord, it was rather obvious," he commented amusedly. "You weren't very discreet in your courtship-" He said as he began to assist the boy in dressing.

The pink in Ciel's cheeks darkened to a red shade, "that's enough from you-" he said as Sebastian began to help him slide into his undershirt. He paused and stared thoughtfully towards the wall for a moment, "he saw the Faustian Contract..." He said after a few seconds.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly as he began to button Ciel's undershirt. "And what did he have to say about it?" 

"He didn't even question it," Ciel murmured in a relatively low tone, "his exact words were 'I won't ask if you don't want to talk about it,' it's as if he didn't even seem to understand what he was seeing," he swallowed thickly, guilt lacing his voice. "Since then, I have been debating telling him..." He admitted. 

Sebastian's eyes turned into a stern glare, "if I may... that would be rather foolish a decision-" he said with a low tone. 

"Perhaps," Ciel admitted as he met Sebastian's glare with his own. The butler was fixing his cravat and seemed unbothered by the boy's glare. "I don't want to disappear one day without him understanding why," he paused, "this is not me saying that I wish to dissolve the contract." He gazed towards the floor, "simply that I wish to... prepare him for what the future holds-" 

"I still don't believe that it is a good idea," Sebastian repeated as he pulled Ciel's socks over his legs and fastened them to their garters. "Frankly, Finnian doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut," he said icily, "if you tell him, I do believe that everyone in the manor will know within a matter of an hour-" 

"Watch your tone," Ciel snapped back somewhat defensively, "I have faith that he is capable of keeping a secret; he's kept our relationship quiet after all," he allowed Sebastian to slip on his shoes and scoffed. "I haven't even decided if I will be telling him or not," he dismissed the demon, "I'm not sure I'm prepared for his reaction..." he said with a suddenly soft tone. "The day I tell him may very well be the end of our relationship-" he murmured as his rings were finally placed on his hands.

Sebastian didn't respond this time, choosing instead to turn back to pour Ciel's morning tea and give it to him in silence. After Ciel had finished drinking, Sebastian cleared away the saucer and tray with the boy giving a few muttered complaints about the tea being too weak. Finally, they made their way down to the dining hall. 

Ciel walked ahead of Sebastian, entering the dining hall, where he was greeted by the three servants as usual.

And just as he had for the past few months, Finnian's face dusted a light pink, and a smile graced his features at the presence of the other boy. Despite his attempts to remain apathetic, Ciel's lips quirked upwards. 

Once the earl was settled into his breakfast, Sebastian clapped his hands together to grab the three servants' attention. "You lot," he addressed them, "Lady Elizabeth is to be visiting us this morning, so I expect your utmost behaviour."

Finnian tensed at the mention of the girl's name, his eyes darting towards Ciel. His partner's eyes had focused intently on him, and upon meeting his gaze- the earl gave him a reassuring look. The slight half-smile sent a wave of calm through Finnian's body, and he found that he didn't hear Sebastian's orders. When he heard his name being called, Finnian tried to shake off the butterflies he felt, "huh?" He looked towards the now irritated Sebastian.

"I said," Sebastian spoke with annoyance in his tone, "that you are to stay and clear the table after the Young Master finishes his meal. Then I would like you to tend to the courtyard and begin clearing out the brush-" he gave a rather condescending smile. "Do try not to break anything-" he added. 

Finny gave a slight nod of understanding as the other two servants left to do their own chores. He briefly heard Bardroy mumbling something about Finny getting the easy jobs as of late. He felt a bit of guilt well up at the comment but attempted to not think about it too deeply. 

Once the other two were gone, Ciel scoffed into his tea, "Bardroy certainly likes to complain-" he said with an amused tone, giving Sebastian a look for the butler to also leave.

Giving a small smile, Finnian shrugged slightly, "a bit," he agreed before he remembered what he'd planned to say. "Does Lady Elizabeth have to come over again?" He asked, chewing on his lip somewhat harder than intended- wincing at the taste of blood. 

Ciel gave a small sigh and set the teacup down on its saucer, "unfortunately," he said as he lifted his gaze to meet Finny's eyes. "Will you be alright? I know that last time she was here, you were left rather upset-" 

"I don't want her to come here at all," Finnian said in a low mumble of a tone. A pang of guilt welled in his chest at his own statement. He knew better than this, he thought, unsure why his heart ached at the idea of Ciel spending time with Elizabeth. He knew that Ciel loved him, but perhaps the girl's clinginess and beauty would sway his heart... 

A slight frown fell onto Ciel's face, "I didn't take you as the type to be envious-" he said, and Finnian could tell he was trying to make light of the situation, but the words only made his chest ache more. 

"I'm not envious," he mumbled quite defensively, "I'm just..." he paused and shook his head while beginning to pick up the plates and silverware from the table, "it's not important-" 

"Finnian," Ciel's voice was rather stern as if demanding the gardener's attention, "Finnian, look at me-" 

"I'm fine," Finnian reiterated, without looking up, as he continued to pick up the mess on the table. 

" _Finny._ " 

"I said I'm fine, Ciel!" Finnian said, slamming down the plates he had been holding, causing them to shatter instantly. The sound of glass shattering pulled him from his anger nearly immediately; he was acting irrationally. He quieted his tone, looking down at the shards, "I'm just being stupid." 

The boy continued to avoid Ciel's gaze while beginning to pick up the broken shards, but Ciel was still studying his expression unmovingly. "You're not stupid," Ciel said after a moment, his tone surprisingly soft, "if you don't want to talk, I won't force you. However, I don't want you to think that I am mad at you for the way that you are feeling." 

Finny paused for a moment, still gnawing at his lip, "I just... when she's here... I just feel so... bad." He finally admitted, eyes misting as he finished cleaning up the glass, placing it on the cart beside the table. "I mean... she's your fiance, and I'm just... a hard to keep secret." A few tears streaked down his cheeks. 

"Please look at me, Finnian," Ciel said in a gentle sternness. When the blonde finally raised his gaze, Ciel studied his face for a moment, " _you_ are my partner of choice," he said in a severe tone. "You are the one that I love. Lady Elizabeth is my fiance only due to things I cannot control," he continued to stare into Finny's teary green eyes with worry. "I do not care for her the same way I do for you-" 

Finnian reached out for Ciel's hand, craving the comfort of touch. "It feels so wrong to keep doing this," he said in a near-whisper, "every time she comes over, I feel so guilty-..." 

Ciel gave a small sigh and held the other boy's hand, gesturing for the blonde to sit down. "I know," he murmured, "you take other's emotions to heart... I do believe it is one of the things I love about you-" he said softly, lips quirking upwards at Finnian's blush. "It's only going to be a little while," he said reassuringly, "I'll try to have her gone within an hour-"

"No," Finnian said rather quickly as his leg began bouncing lightly, "you shouldn't tell her to leave so soon," he mumbled, "it wouldn't be fair to her; she wouldn't understand why you don't want to see her-" 

"Frankly, I don't care," Ciel said with a slight huff in his tone, "I would much rather spend time with you than entertain her and have her hugging and cuddling me all the time-" 

Finnian laughed softly as he began to relax a bit, "you don't seem to mind it when I hug and cuddle you-" he said with an innocent smile. 

"That is different-" Ciel said, a light pink flowing across his cheeks. 

Finny was about to respond with his own remark- when the door was slammed open. A high-pitched sing-song of Ciel's name caused Finnian's ears to ache- and he quickly shoved out his chair to put some distance between him and Ciel. 

Elizabeth barreled into the room and practically pounced onto Ciel in her excitement. Finnian took a breath, closing his eyes as he tried to calm his nerves- before turning to finish cleaning up. 

_And so it begins._


End file.
